Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Sir Ken Robinson explores creative revolution

Photos and Story by James Hill

“We are engulfed in a revolution,” said Sir Ken Robinson at PCC’s district in-service on Sept. 17 in the Sylvania Campus gym.

To Robinson, that revolution is creativity and he explored what it means to the world and to PCC. The point of his talk revolved around concepts that say intelligence is diverse, dynamic and distinct, seeding creative thought. However, he said the U.S. education system wasn’t responding to the change in creative skills and, in fact, new initiatives in education have kept the U.S. behind the rest of the world.

“We are still educating people as if we are entering the 20th century,” Robinson said.

Much about Robinson is very serious. He is an acknowledged leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human resources. Now based in Los Angeles, he has worked with national governments in Europe and Asia, with international agencies, Fortune 500 companies, not-for-profit corporations and some of the world’s leading cultural organizations. They include the Royal Shakespeare Company, Sir Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, the Royal Ballet, and the Hong Academy for Performing Arts, the European Commission, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, the J. Paul Getty Trust and the Education Commission of the States

Robinson spent a decade teaching education at the University of Warwick in England and now is professor emeritus. In 1998, he led a national commission on creativity, education and the economy for the United Kingdom. His report, “All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education” – also known as the Robinson Report – was published to huge acclaim.

However, most of the morning was anything but serious for Robinson. He was full of humor that delighted staff and faculty from the onset. Standing on stage with a relaxed and informal feel, he started his speech with his family immigrating to the U.S. from England, three days before the Fourth of July.

“Independence Day?” he said with a chuckle. “Get over it already. We messed up. We admit it.”

Robinson also discussed how he and his wife celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in Las Vegas by getting married all over again. They went to an Elvis chapel and ordered smoke, an Elvis impersonator and a hula girl but opted out of having a pink cadillac on hand for the ceremony, “because that would have been tacky.”

His point wasn’t just comedy, but that Las Vegas was built from a person’s creative idea.

“It was simply a notion,” he said of the Nevada city. “And now it has become its own idea.”

Pulliams welcomes back staff, faculty to 2007-08 year

Also speaking to the crowd was PCC District President Preston Pulliams. With his trademark smile and sense of humor, Pulliams talked about why this year’s in-service theme is so important.

“The theme of this year’s in-service is ‘Access and Success,’” said Pulliams. “It’s all part of our ongoing mission to make college affordable and available to anyone in Oregon who wants to be here, and to provide a high-quality, flexible and practical education to our students.

“The 21st century is a time of unprecedented growth in technology, in opportunity and, most importantly, in human potential,” he added. “We have to train our students for the ever-changing job markets of today, and the as-yet-unfathomable job markets of years to come. It’s not going to be easy, but no public institution is better positioned to address these needs. Community colleges are a key player in Oregon’s efforts, in the nation’s efforts, to meet these challenges head on. This is our time to shine.”

PCC Foundation breaks record

In addition, Pulliams reported that the PCC Foundation raised more than $1.4 million last year for student scholarships and $130,000 came from staff and faculty – a new record of giving at the college.